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Published on: February 4, 2018
Strongyloides as a cause of fever of unknown origin
Iliana Neumann1, Rhianna Ritter, Anne Mounsey
1Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
Abstract:
Strongyloides is endemic in parts of the United States. Most often it is asymptomatic but it has a wide range of clinical presentations. Because of the unusual capacity of strongyloides for autoinfection, it can cause hyperinfection, when it effects the pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems, or disseminated infection, when other organs are involved. Both hyperinfection and disseminated strongyloides usually occur in immunosuppressed patients. We report a case of hyperinfection with strongyloides in a man presenting with fever of unknown origin who was not immunosuppressed.
Insights
Strongyloides stercoralis, a parasitic worm, can cause severe hyperinfection even in non-immunosuppressed individuals. This case highlights the importance of considering Strongyloides in unexplained fevers, regardless of immune status.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Parasitology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Strongyloides is a nematode parasite endemic in certain US regions.
- It typically presents asymptomatically but has diverse clinical manifestations.
- Autoinfection capability can lead to hyperinfection or disseminated disease, usually in immunocompromised individuals.
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